Adrian Kempe

Lore & Background

Kempe made his NHL debut on 16 February 2017 against the Arizona Coyotes. He recorded his first NHL point on 21 February 2017 and his first goal on 11 March 2017. In the 2021–22 season, he posted career highs of 35 goals and 54 points and participated in his first NHL All-Star Game. The following season, he became the first Kings player since Anze Kopitar to score 40 goals in a season, finishing with 41 goals.

In Their Own Story

The arena is humming at sixty thousand, the ice a pale mirror under the lights. Kempe drops his stick, taps the toe of his skate against the boards, and rolls into the neutral zone with the puck at his feet. Two opposing forwards close in, sticks reaching, but he's already angled away, the puck glued to his blade as he carves a line toward the blue line. The crowd noise swells into a roar. He crosses the line, feeds the slot, and immediately turns to track the play back—because the job isn't done until the puck is dead. That is the Kempe shift: no wasted motion, no waiting, just forward pressure and the quiet, grinding certainty that the next battle is already his to win.

Reader's Guide

Kempe is known for his versatility, having played both center and wing. He has been a consistent scorer for the Kings, leading the team in goals in multiple seasons. He signed an eight-year, $85 million extension on 17 November 2025 to remain with the Kings through the 2033–34 season.

Did You Know?

• Kempe's nickname is 'Juice'.
• His older brother Mario also played professional ice hockey, including 52 games with the Arizona Coyotes.
• Kempe represented Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, winning a gold medal, and at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, winning a bronze medal.